Grapple.



GRAPPLE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 3, 1912.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

\gno

5. Maw m E wa N aw R R4? m 5 k r OWHV munmu PLANOGRAPH couwasmscl'row. u. c.

NrTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER CROSBY, EDWARD A. WILHELM, AND HARRY LE ROY BRINK, OF ST. PAUL,

MINNESOTA, ASSIGNORS TO AMERICAN HOIST & DERRICK 00., OF

NESOTA, A CORPORATION.

sr. PAUL, MIN- GRAPPLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914..

Application filed October 3, 1912. .Serial No. 723,755.

there is a comparatively small quantity of the cane, and where it would be wholly 1m..- practicable to use the large, heavy grapple of our application above referred to. The

large grapple is designed for handling car loads of cane onwhere it is collected in a storage pile, and to avoid the necessity of providing a smaller, lighter grapple, or unweaving the cables of the large grapple for operating a smaller one, we have adapted the large grapple for handling both the large and light loads.

A further object is to allow the grapple to be left 011 the ground and the blocks pulled away from it, the derrick roped to handle these grapples being used for other purposes than handling the cane.

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a side elevation of a grapple embodying our invention, showing it adapted for handling carloads of cane, or from a storage pile. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the upper portion of the grapple, detached from the hooks without unweaving the operating cables, and ready for handling light loads of cane or other material. Fig. 3 is an end view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the means for connecting the sling shaft to the sheave blocks.

In the drawing, 2 represents the shaft of the cane grapple and 3 a series of grapple hooks mounted thereon, and adapted to sheaves 9 for The object of our present invention is to f adapt this type of grapple for unloadingwagons of cane or similar material where.

swing toward and from one another, all as set forthin the above mentionedapplication. 4 1s a beam, and.5 represents bails c011- nected to the grapple hooks and pivoted at 6 to the beam 4., Upon this. beam-4 sheave blocks 7 are mounted, and arranged to project above and below the-beam, and provided JWlllhSheEtVeS Szand 9,.sheave 9 above the beam and sheave 8 below. 10 have runningconnections with the raising the beam, lifting the bails and separating the grapple hooks. 'Blocks 11 having sheaves 12 are provided between the-grapple hooksand are secured to the shaft 2, by. means of straps l3 and links 14.- Thestraps 13 are preferably securedto the lowerportions of the blocks and depend 011 each side of the shaft 2, and the links 14 are to one of the straps and have holes 15 in their opposite ends to receive bolts 17 which pass therethrough, and through holes 16 in the :otherstrap. The links thereby close the opening between the straps and support the shaft 2, concave seats 18 being preferably provided in the upper edges of said links upon which the :shaft'2 rests.

When the shaft 2is in theposition shown in Fig. 1 and is secured to the blocks 11, the

grapple is adapted for handling large quantities of cane, either in a. storage pile or on cars, as may be desired. In case, however, a wagon load of cane is brought to the mill or other cessfully used for unloading too heavy and bulky for the purpose. We, therefore, remove the bolts 17 and detach the shaft 2 and the grapple hooks'entirely from it, being much the blocks 11, then disconnect the bails 5 from the beam 4, and the blocks and beam thus become entirely detached from the gra ple hooks, as shown in Fig. 2. We then sub stitute in place of the shaft 2 a shaft 19, having collars 20 wise movement and provide at intervals loops 21 having hooks 22 thereon. These hooks are adapted to engage slings 23 preferably in the form of chains, which are I adapted to pass around the load of cane on a 100 wagon and lift the load from the wagon when the cables are operated. When the Opening cables 60 pivotally connected at one end 70 point the large grapple cannot be suc- 85 at its ends to prevent endwagons have been unloaded the shaft 19 may be disconnected from the blocks and the blocks and beam may then be attached to the large grapple hooks. The operation of adapting the large grapple for handling cane on wagons or on cars can be easily and quickly performed and without the necessity of unweaving the operating cables, an operation which obviously would require considerable time and labor. We are thus able to make one large grapple perform two distinct functions and adapt it for a double use, and thereby provide a decided improvement over grapples of this kind as ordinarily constructed, where it would be necessary to unweave the cables and connect them to a smaller grapple, or provide two distinct grapples.

Obviously when the grapple hooks have been detached from the sheave blocks and operating cable,'the device with the slings attached thereto is capable of a variety of uses.

The upper portions of the sheave blocks 11 are provided with bars 24f, having horizontal flanges 25, and the lower ends of the blocks 7 have horizontal flanges 26 thereon which are adapted to rest on the flanges 25 when the boxes are brought together for handling light loads, and we prefer to secure the flanges 25 and 26 together by means of bolts 27 thereby holding them in rigid relation to one another when used with the sling shaft.

We do not confine ourselves in the use of the sling grapple to the handling of small quantities of cane, nor do we confine ourselves to the particular manner shown for detachably mounting the grapple shaft on the sheave blocks, as in various ways this connection may be modified and still be within the scope of our invention.

We claim as our invention 1. A grapple comprising a beam, upper sheave blocks mounted on said beam, lower sheave blocks disposed below said first named blocks and having seats to receive said first named blocks, means for rigidly securing said upper and lower blocks together, cables having running connections with said blocks, a shaft and cane supporting means thereon, and means for temporarily clamping said shaft on said lower blocks.

2. A grapple comprising a beam, upper sheave blocks mounted on said beam, lower sheave blocks, means for temporarily securing said upper and lower blocks together, cables having running connections with said blocks, a shaft, slings carried by said shaft and adapted to pass around a load of cane, means for temporarily clamping said shaft on said lower blocks.

7 3. A grapple comprising a beam, upper sheave blocks mounted on said beam, lower sheave blocks, cables having running connections with said sheave blocks, a shaft, cane engaging means carried thereby, straps mounted on said lower blocks and spaced apart to receive said shaft, and links pivotally connected with one of said straps and having means for connection with the other strap, said links temporarily supporting said shaft upon said lower blocks.

4:. A grapple comprising a cross head, a sheave block mounted therein and having an upper and a lower sheave, a second sheave block arranged transversely of said first named block and having means for securing it thereto, and sheaves mounted side by side in said second named block, cables having running connections with the sheaves of said blocks, and a cane sling having means for connection with said second named block.

5. A cane lifting device comprisingacross head, a pair of sheave blocks mounted thereon, a second pair of sheave blocks arranged side by side beneath said first named blocks and having means for securing them respectively to said first named blocks, cables having running connections with the sheaves of said blocks, and cane lifting means for connection with said second named blocks.

(3. A cane lifting device comprising a sheave block, and sheaves mounted one above another therein, a second sheaveblock having sheaves arranged side by side therein, means for securing said blocks together, and cane lifting means and means for temporarily attaching-it to said second named block.

7. A grapple comprising upper sheave blocks, lower sheave blocks, means for temporarily securing said upper and lower blocks together, cables having running con nections with said blocks, a shaft having means for temporarily securing it to said blocks, and cane slings carried by said shaft.

8. A grapple comprising sheave blocks and cables having running connections therewith, a shaft, cane engaging means carried thereby, straps mounted on said blocks and spaced apart to receive said shaft, links pivotally connected with one of said straps and having means for connection with the other strap, said links temporarily supporting said shaft upon said blocks.

9. A combined grapple and cane lifting means comprising a cross head, a pair of sheave blocks mounted thereon, a second pair of sheave blocks having means for temporarily securing them to said first named blocks, cables having running connections with the sheaves of said blocks, a shaft and 10. A grapple comprising a beam, a In Witness whereof, We have hereunto set 10 flanged sheave block mounted thereon, a secour hands this 27th day of September 1912. 0nd flanged sheave block adapted to be seated against the flanges of said first named block, bolts passing through said flanges for HARRY LE R BRINK' temporarily securing said blocks together, cables having running connections With said Witnesses:

blocks, and a shaft detachably connected 0. W. MORTON,

With said second block. ROSE A. CUMMINGS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

